Review of key performance indicators for measuring innovation process performance

Performance indicators (PIs) are critical to the measurement of the innovation process. However, existing studies neglect PIs and dimensions relevant to companies in the current innovation landscape. This paper bridges this gap in prior research by reviewing and systematising PIs for the innovation process. It builds upon a systematic literature review to analyse scientific publications on innovation PIs published between 1983 and 2018. Thus, this study identifies the characteristics of relevant publications as well as systematises 259 PIs into nine company-specific and contextual dimensions and further categorisations. The analysis discusses the top-cited PIs and finds that more qualitative and leading PIs than quantitative exist in the literature. Furthermore, additional PIs are needed to address areas, such as leadership quality and tacit knowledge. This study may constitute an opportunity for academics to identify relevant measurement instruments and innovation managers to find an initial reference to support the selection of PIs.